Working with D&A

As a leading force in Optical retailing, our 250 year heritage stretches back as far as the eye can see. With 400 branches across the UK we always aspire to achieve outstanding customer service.

To meet ever-changing customer needs, we know that people are right at the heart of everything that we do. Our continuing success depends on attracting the very best people, developing them and retaining them. That’s why we are always looking for new talent both internally and externally.

Our Culture

Our core personal values are ‘’Professional, Friendly and Caring’’. This is because being ‘Professional, Friendly and Caring’ is something that underpins the way everyone in D&A works, how we relate to each other and how we serve our customers. It describes the culture of D&A, a culture within which all colleagues can work and be proud.

The optical retail business, which D&A is part of, is highly competitive. Everyone is striving to attract new customers and will do everything possible to keep them coming back time and again.

D&A have looked at what its customers want and also what we can provide. It has found the things that make D&A stand out from the crowd; the things that make customers choose to come to D&A rather than to any of our competition. From this research, the D&A strategy has been created, which we believe will continue to make the Company a success and stay ahead.

Our strategy is being ‘First For Service’

We want our service to be the best in Optical Retailing

Our People

That’s where our colleagues come in. We need them to make sure that all customers leave D&A happy in their eyewear, look stunning and see clearly.

We passionately believe in exceeding customer expectations – every day, in every way. Working with D&A is not just a job, it’s a career. We believe in giving every individual total support. We appreciate that different people have different aspirations. Our individually tailored approach allows our employees to develop at a pace that suits them. Our training and development structure is carefully designed to maximise our employee’s career potential.

Our Training

At D&A, we believe in giving every individual all the support we can. We appreciate that people have different aspirations. Our individually tailored approach will allow you to develop at a pace that suits you.

Below is a flavour of some of the training initiatives D&A are proud of:

NVQs in Optical Retailing linked with Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships
Award winning Optical Adviser Training (National Training Award 2004 and People in Retail 2006)
Award winning Optometrist Development Training (National Training Award 2005)
Masterclass (Bronze, Silver and Gold) – a carefully structured suite of programmes to enable D&A to develop colleagues into successful Branch Managers
The best Summer School and Graduate (pre-registration) Optometrist programmes

Qualified Optometrist

‘Professional Friendly & Caring’

This describes our culture at D&A and it is something that underpins the way everyone in D&A works, how we relate to each other and how we serve our customers. We passionately believe in exceeding customer expectations – every day, in every way. Working with D&A is not just a job, it’s a career.

The Role

An Optometrist at D&A has the opportunity to fully demonstrate their professional care and knowledge in the delivery of outstanding patient care and incredible customer service. Part of the Branch Leadership Team our Optometrists are very much responsible for maximising customer service, sales and profit of the branch through leading and coaching their teams to deliver First for Service’ and exceptional business results.

The role of Optometrist at D&A recognises both your clinical expertise and your desire and passion to help patients.

Your Career

We offer various career routes for our Optometrists and one of these could be to become a Managing Optometrist where you would manage your own branch both clinically and commercially. This would be a logical route also if you were eventullay thinking of becoming a franchisee.

With 17 years of experience in franchising, we operate the largest and most successful retail optical franchise in the UK. Our franchise model is designed to bring together your ambition, skills and entrepreneurial talent with our established brand and commercial strengths; together this is a great formula for success.

Other career opprtunities within Group may be to take on more job enriching roles such as deputising for our Clinical Development Managers, becoming a GrO Supervisor, a GrO Assessor, a Mock Assessor, a Mobile Optometrist, to name but a few.

The key thing to remember is that when you join D&A who will embark on a Career and not just a job.

Your Benefits

You can expect to enjoy a wide range of excellent benefits. Here is a flavour:

Competitive basic salary
Competitive location supplements (certain locations)
Car Allowance
Optometrist and Branch Leadership Team incentive
Excellent working environment
Support with CET
Flexible working patterns
NVQ Training/Management Training
Colleague discount scheme
Company pension scheme
Company sick pay
Life Assurance
Generous 25 days holiday
Private Health Care
GOC fees paid

Your Training

In joining one of our group branches you will enjoy the assurance, outstanding rewards and career development opportunities offered by one of the UK’s leading and most established opticians. Our individually tailored approach and award winning training programmes (i.e. National Training Awards, People in Retail) allow you to develop at a pace that suits you. We offer up-to-date ongoing training and development for our clinical colleagues in order to enable them to meet their CET requirements.